Schoolboy saves choking woman

Quick thinking St John Cadet Rhys Wareing sprung into action and
saved a choking woman on his way to school.

Schoolboy Rhys, 15, has been hailed a hero
after saving Nicola Crawley, who started choking on a piece of
toast whilst driving to work.

The food became trapped in her throat, and, unable to
breathe, Nicola, 34, got out of her car and tried to
call for help.

Rhys, from Oldham, is a trained first aider
and ran over to her aid. Using his training and
first aid knowledge of choking,
he gave her four sharp blows between her shoulder blades and
managed to dislodge the food.

They then went their separate ways. But after recovering a dazed
Nicola, from Shaw, Oldham, remembered spotting Rhys' Royton and
Crompton school sweatshirt and manage to track him down through a
friend who works at the school and an appeal from the headteacher
who did a special assembly to trace the hero.

I’d hate to think of what could have happened if he hadn’t walked past

Mrs Crawley's husband

Rhys said: 'At the time I didn't consider the significance
of what I had done other than to instinctively respond to an
emergency in the prompt way I had been trained.

‘It was a natural thing to help, I couldn’t just leave her.’

Nicola, a call centre manager, says she will be forever in Rhys'
debt. She explained: 'I couldn't breathe and honestly thought I was
going to die.

Mrs Crawley’s husband, a driving instructor, has promised Rhys
all the lessons he needs to pass his test out of gratitude. ‘He is
an amazing guy; I’d hate to think of what could have happened if he
hadn’t walked past,’ he says of Rhys. ‘A lot of teenagers get a bad
reputation but he did an amazing job.’

St John Ambulance Head of Training, Elaine Howlings, praised
Rhys' efforts: ‘Rhys has done an excellent job putting his first
aid training into practise and coming to the aid of someone who
needed him. Many people would panic in that situation but he
remembered his first aid knowledge and stayed calm and took
control. We’re delighted with his actions.

‘This story goes to show how vital it is for school
children to learn first aid. We can give teachers the resources to
do it themselves or train pupils direct. Anyone who wants more
information should get in touch.’